THE HUNTERS

IT'S HER

Cohan

Four am. “Hello, old friends,” I said looking at the time in my radio clock on my nightstand. For as long I can remember, waking up at 4 am was an old habit. No matter how tired I was the days previous, or how desperate I was to start in my bed, waking up at this time was inevitable.

I took a deep breath and asked, “why do I have to wake at this hour every day goddess? Which witch did I piss off so bad to curse me like that?” and “ what which this dream? It never changes, so why does it mean to me?” I added quietly.

For as long as I could remember, I always woke up at 4 am following a very both weird and amusing dream about a girl who seemed to grow up in my dream with time, because I remembered she was a child in my first years of dreaming than she evolved into adulthood with time and she was a breathtaking woman. In the dream, she looked strong, confident, joyful. However, the girl in my dream seemed so familiar and friendly but I could not figure her out yet. Even with my witch advisor's help, I still came up with nothing. All she could tell me was the girl not just a flick of my imagination but someone who would be or already important to me so I should go and find her because she might be waiting for me.

What was even more troublesome was that my twin brother was sharing the dream and the 4 am curse with me and both of us were helpless when it came to her identity and hope to find her.

Today was not an exception to the curse because here I was wide awake at 4 and ready to embrace the new day. I did not torture myself by trying to get my sleep back because I was long gone and it was an impossibility.

I got off my head, went straight to the bedroom, did my morning routine. Afterward, I took a minute or two to look at my parent's picture, my brother’s too, and the painting of the girl of my dream literally. Then I headed downstairs for breakfast.

Though that I woke early and ate breakfast early too, my second Allistaire, my assistant Sarah and witch advisor Michelle always shared the meal with me ever since they learned about my sleep deprivation. And today was not excepted because here they were in the dining room already waiting for me with a table full of diverse food.

Upon seeing me they all stood up and bowed to me. I hated when they do that because even though that I was the elder one and a little bit superior to them due to my supernatural status, I always saw them as my friend, my family and family didn't bow to one another.

I brushed them off and asked, “ I am hungry no, I am famished, please tell me Allistaire was not the one behind the stove?” A handful of laughter erupted in the dining hall. “Because I really want to eat, please” I added

“Cohan seriously, I have been feeding you for centuries and now you are complaining about my cooking,” said Allistaire

“I didn't have a choice but to eat whatever you cooked because you refused to let me cook on my own. Do you know guys, I have to send Allistaire out of the coven if I ever wanted to cook and when he came back, he would be so mad and reprimanded me about a lot of what if.” I replied with a laugh.

“Danm, Allistaire, I did not know if you were a den mother. Taking care of Lord Cohan like that almost turn up into a woman.” added my assistant Sarah.

“Sarah, how many times do I have to tell you to not call me Lord or Master because you are among of friends here.” Sarah gave me an apologizing look. “And after our first century, Allistaire did turn into a mother because his reprimand was severe and even place some security on me to keep me far away from the kitchen. And I even caught him reading some recipes books to ameliorate his cooking.” I stated

We were halfway through breakfast when I was hit with I strong headache and the next thing I knew I kneeled with my head in my hand. Then I heard it, the voice that had been quiet for centuries, my lycan Matthew. I was both happy and chock to hear him. My lycan was very quiet and obedient, he never caused me any trouble just anonymously agreed with all my decision. He didn't even give me trouble during the full moon such as taking over my body and turning or even simply as howled to the moon. He was just silent and let me decided whenever I want to change which is still once a month but in my own term, not his.

Still, with the head-crushing pain, I looked up to Allistaire, and he understood immediately and helped me get to a more private location with was the forest that was a little far from the coven.

I was the Lord of the Sunhill coven after my mother passed. I was not the elder vampire there but I was still the heir to it along with my twin brother Rohan. Rohan and I were a little different from most wolves and vampires. First, you were hybrids that made us part of two different species. Second, we did not have wolves as our wild beast but a lycan, an almost extinct species. And last not least we had also a vampire side. With that combination only, we were kind of on top of everyone in our coven or pack.

Rohan and I had a pack and coven to lead. Because my vampire side was more aware than my lycan, I took over the Sunhill coven, and Rohan who was more in harmony with his lycan Mikael took over the Midnight pack after our Father passed.

Our races were sworn, enemies. Werewolves hated vampires and called them bloodsuckers and vampires hated werewolves and called them wet dogs. Not many knew about my brother and me. The very few who knew were or considered as family. In my coven only Allistaire and Michelle who knew not even my assistant Sarah knew yet. In Rohan’s pack maybe his high ranks knew.

Now I was with Allistaire in the forest trying to control my wolf but the fact that I never had to do that before made the task next to impossible. Michelle showed up and tamed Matthew with a spell. Sarah showed up with Michelle two was confuse and surprise.

“What is going on with Cohan? I never saw him in such discomfort. Is he okay? What did you do to him, Michelle?” shouted Sarah question after question.

“Cohen is fine Sarah. He just had a headache. Don't worry he will be fine” responded Allistaire. “Why did you bring her with you Michelle,” he added.

Michelle breathe and said “ I could not leave her behind. She will follow anyway. Everything we're happening right in front of her. I couldn't come with a good lie and I was tired of lying anyway.”

One of the things Michelle hated was lying. She was a believer knowing the truth was always better than living in the dark of one's environment. So telling the truth was basically one of her motors.

Still, in pain, I looked at Sarah who had a surprised and curious look on her face. She approached him and touch his face. That was the first time that she had ever touch him for the four long years she had been working with him.

She looked at him straight in the eyes and closed hers. She took a deep breath and said, “ he wants to come out. He wants to find his better half.” “ What did you feel before you start to turn Cohan?”

Without hesitation, Cohan responded, “ a surge of fear and anger when I was inside than when we reached here, I felt a dormant power that had awakened.”

Still, with her eyes closed, she continued, “ the power you felt is from the one your beast is after. I can really describe everything because all I get is from your beast, not her/him.” she opened her eyes and added, “you must find her or your beast will eventually take over and not spell will be able to suppress him.”

“Please Sarah, stop calling him my beast. His name is Matthew. And how did you know all this by touching my face?” stated Cohan.

“My power as a vampire is reading others thought by touching them. But right presently I could read your wolf thought because your mind caught between your wolf and you .” said Sarah.

Wait you can read people by touching them? How many times did you read my mind?” questioned Allistaire.

“More than I can count but, strangely, I never see anything about that part of Cohan. You never thought about Cohan’s wolf part when you are talking to me even when we are talking about him.” replied Sarah. “ not that we talked about you all the time and not and a bad way boss.” added Sarah when she saw me staring at her.

You laughed a little about their comments. Sarah has known Allistaire for Centuries now, two to be exact. I had met her through him that was a decade ago and ever since she became part of our circle. Michelle, I met her when an elder warlock was trying to steal her power. The warlock was her uncle and hate her because she was blessed with some fascinating power. She was born into a family of warlocks. Every woman in her family was human none of them were magical. Michelle was the first to be born in the family and for that, she was granted immense power. Powers that no one in her family ever had. Some of her family was please with her birth, others not so much and some even went as far as hating her.

Her parents loved her unconstitutionally, talked about her like she was their greatest pride, as she was a miracle child. Both her uncle Ched always thought of her as a deception, a mistake. When she started to display her power at a very young age, his hatred for her grew even more. People in her family only displayed their powers at the age of thirteen but hers showed up at the age of 5 when she healed her father after a fight with her uncle.

When she turned 18, she already acquired 3 more powers which were more than anyone in her family ever had. Her father told her that her first ancestor who was also a woman was the only one who ever demonstrated those powers. One night, after a hunt Cohan stumbled upon Michelle who was running for her life. She begged him the save her. Without hesitation, he opened a portal and escaped with her. When they got to the coven Michelle explained everything. after three decades on the run Michelle finally, master all of her powers which were mind control, dream teller, astral projection, and telekinesis.

She returned home only to find out that her uncle had ruined her dignity by lying about her we're about, saying that she had escaped with a dirty vampire because she was pregnant with his baby. She explained everything to them about what her uncle had put her through and who I was. The family cast the uncle out and stripped him of his power. They even gave Michelle the option to stay with me or leave with me. However, her great grandfather told her that her destiny lied with me.

So there we were two centuries, still looking for that destiny and now we were in a forest trying to control my lycan. When the power surge finally calmed down, Matthew gave me complete control and told me to find her.

Inside the house, Sarah drew a picture of the woman she saw in both Matthew and my mind who shockingly was the girl of my dream. With that discovery, I guessed maybe I was not the only one who felt the power but my brother also. I authorized Allistaire to set a meeting between us. I also explained everything to Sarah, kept her up to date and all, and also clarified to her that my beast is not a wolf but a lycan which gave her a new curiosity to explore.

Later that night I contact my brother and explain everything to her through text messages. I went to bed with my lycan still awake in my head and very talkative by the way. No wonder he was quiet all these centuries.